Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-06-16


pathy and hope9
One day he caught and kissed the
little hand as administered so skillfully
and kindly to his needs, and, as he
held it, said:
''0h, dear little hand, how shall
ever thank your gentle mistress? As
good as she is beautiful! Miss Mir
Jam"
1t was a sensitive little hand 1t
gave start within his own and hut-
tered, and turned Just a trifle colder,
and made faint attempt to get
away
He knew instantly that he had made
a mistake, but he held the little pris-
oner fast
Il have been in error. 1t is to Ag-
mes | should have addressed my
thanks, not Miriam All, dearest
friend and nurse --"
''Not Agnes, either. Younever saw
me, Mr.. Melville. | am a younger
sister, Polly Polly Hopkins.
The quaint and homely name struck
his fancy on the moment. He smiled,
and cried almost unconsciously:
Pretty, pretty Polly Hopkins
Yes, answered Polly, quite SIM
ply "that is what they all call me.
Nowonder that his Imagination i'm
mediatey invested her with all sorts
of charms.
"How | wish | could see your dear
face, y he said, with a bitter sigh. II
so often picture it to myself, Polly-a
lovely innocent face, with great dark
eyes, and little rosebud mouth-and
! shall never see you-never! 1t is
hard to bear!'
She had not the courage to unde-
ceive him.. fearing that if he knew the
truth he would dislike her; and she
loved him so! But one day he heard
Miriam call her dear little ugly
duck"
"Why did Miriam call you that?'
he asked
Now Polly was truthful to tt core.
She turned crimson before those sight
less eyes and hid her -tear-stained
face, and told him truly why.
He was silent for a while, then put
out his hand and drew her toward
him.
Then you are not beautiful? Pref
ty Polly Hopkins and the Ugly Duck
are one? What color is Your hair,
Pollyp
''Red, she told him, trembling.
Thatwas startling. Melville was a
lover of beauty, and hated red
hair.
but, after all, what does it matter
70 me?' he thought sadly. Then
aloud: Gan the same, | love you,
Polly, To me, at least, you are beau
tiful, because you are sweet and good.
VIII you marry me, Pollyg
She could not believe him at first.
II am not good enough-not pretty
enough.
But he talked her out Of that, and so
they were engaged,
''And I'll Try to be prettier. I'll
take pains, and do my hairand dress, P"
She said with a sudden inspiration.
He smiled sadly,
"What does that matter? | shall
never see my little wife. 1t is her
loving heart that must suffice me.
But she had made her resolution.
IN try and be little pretty for
your sake, so that when others look
upon your wife You need not blush
for her
So he, being conyaleseent, went
back to town. He had determined to
have other and the best medical aid
for his injured eyes.
He was to return at Christmas for
their wedding; the interim was left to
Polly for her proposed reform.
She set about it earnestly. The
heavy masses of luxuriant hair We're
carefully arranged and braided, and
lol it was a beautifully-small and
shapely head round which the glossy
curls lay smooth and close.
Her long confinement in the dark
ened room had cleared the sun-burn
from her clear, fair skin, and love and
happiness had given new expression
to a pair Of candid, gentle, soft grey
eyes; and when at last DIiriam's kind
wish was gratiiicd, and well-made and
becoming dresses set off her graceful,
girlish form, the ugly duck was
ugly no longer, and Pretty Polly Hop
kins was pretty indeed.
meantime the post Drought inc JOY
full news Hugh was in Germany, in a
skilled physicians care, who gave him
hopes of recovering his sight He
asked that their marriage might be
postponed till spring. She assented to
that, for such reason, most joy
fully.
So the winter passed, spring was at
hand Hugh Melville set forth, with
sight restored, to fulfill the promise he
had given in his blindness to marry
the woman whom he had never yet
beheld.
He felt like one who goes to his ex-
ecution In sickness and blindness,
and their attendant miseries, he had
naturally clung to the gentle girl
whose devotion had so greatly allevi-
atcd his sufferings and touched his
heart What did her ugliness matter
to one who could never behold it? But
now, it was very different affair,
since he could see Surely such a
hideous partner for life would be a
positive calamity.
For, as is usually the case. his inn
agination, cropping blindly in the dark,
had greatly exaggerated the actual